Thursday's letters

Thursday

Dec 6, 2012 at 12:01 AM

Catastrophe fund vital

In a Nov. 28 article, "Head of insurer group pans catastrophe fund," an insurance official inaccurately described a proposal to better prepare homeowners, calling it a beach-house bailout. Using that phrase to describe the Taxpayer Protection Act, HR 6477 could not be further from the truth.

This plan is designed as a way to end bailouts and protect taxpayers from limitless exposure to catastrophic storm repairs.

Reports following Hurricane Sandy showed us the anguish that was suffered by primary homeowners who lack the financial resources to rebuild their homes and lives. Sandy made clear that those who are most affected by disaster are the ones who can least afford it.

While many in the Northeast are talking about rebuilding physical infrastructure to withstand dangerous storms, we lag in discussions about reworking our fiscal infrastructure. Fiscal responsibility demands we have that discussion.

HR 6477 limits benefits for affluent property owners, to eliminate any beach-house bailouts. It makes it even clearer that taxpayers should not pay for massive post-event bailouts, and it also prevents homeowners in one part of the country from subsidizing homeowners elsewhere. It leverages state participation to require better land use policies and mitigation to reduce our vulnerability.

Many changes to the catastrophe response system are needed. Enacting HR 6477 to help the private and public sectors strengthen our finances is a critical step that is needed before the next crisis.

Bradley S. Brewster

Executive Director

ProtectingAmerica.org

Washington, D.C.

State OKd rate increase

Regarding the article about insurance rates going up rather than down: I just received my insurance quote for 2013: $2,304, up $535 or 30 percent. The explanation in the letter stated that it was a rate revision approved by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation.

Thank you, Governor Scott, for allowing me and other poor Floridians to make you and your rich buddies even richer. I didn't vote for you the first time and I'm certainly not going to vote for you or the GOP ever.

Keith Kenyon

Englewood

Tax hikes not a solution

It appears that Democratic leaders are deceiving the American public into thinking that the government can tax its way out of the current national debt problems.

The push to increase taxes on the wealthy will do little to resolve either the short-term ($1 trillion annual deficit) or long-term ($16 trillion national debt) issues. According to recent reports, an increase in the taxes on the wealthy by eliminating the Bush-era tax rates will only pay for about nine days of federal spending, and even taxing the top 1 percent of earners at 100 percent would only pay for about 90 days of spending. The U.S. already has the most progressive tax system in the world, such that the top 20 percent pay about 70 percent of federal liabilities. As the Republican leadership keeps saying, the debt problems reflect spending problems, not revenue issues. This is not to say that the rich should not be taxed at a higher rate but, rather, the American public should understand that raising taxes alone will not resolve the annual deficits, and that appropriate spending cuts must also be implemented.

Michael Loftus

Venice

Homeless by choice

When I saw on TV the homeless man in New York receive a new pair of boots and socks from a generous policeman, I knew what would happen. But I brushed the thought aside and hoped that, this time, maybe the homeless man would get encouraged and think about getting off the streets.

Two days later my hunch was right. He no longer had his boots. I'm certain he sold them to get food, drugs or alcohol. I had volunteered with street kids in East Africa and came to know their habits and desires.

Street or homeless people love one thing more than any other: freedom. Yes, they miss the comforts, but few are willing or able to give that up.

Sarasota has a "homeless problem," and there are agencies like the Salvation Army and others trying to help. It is a daunting task. Whether it is because of drugs, alcohol or mental illness, many are unwilling to get off the streets.

One successful program in Columbus, Ohio, is called Amethyst. It is a substance-abuse treatment program that seeks to create a safe, supportive, nurturing and woman-centered environment that encourages trust, bonding and connection.

The program focuses on addiction and stresses the significance of poverty in perpetuating drug and alcohol abuse. It was started by a group of recovering women to provide long-term support and safe, affordable housing to women recovering from addiction.

Patricia Linthicum Wolford

Sarasota

Threat to Gulf continues

Thanks to Kate Spinner and others' environmental reporting, Herald-Tribune readers can keep abreast of the continuing saga of the Deepwater Horizon disaster.

We continue to learn the painful lessons of inadequate preparation for oil spills in the Gulf and other coastal waters. Science and technology needed to prevent and respond to oil spills have been dramatically outpaced by an industry that has proven itself to be reckless, and in some cases criminal, in its pursuit of profit.

Sadly, instead of pressing forward with significant improvements in protective regulations and response planning, the feds have met the industry's drive with massive sales of Gulf leases for exploration and development.

It is unlikely that the debate for or against offshore oil drilling will be resolved in my lifetime, but surely our government should do more to ensure adequate protections before we allow another Deepwater Horizon to occur.

Justin Bloom

Sarasota

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